


The Importance of Tradition

by thesometimeswarrior



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Ficlet, Gen, Guilt, Missing Scene, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-16
Packaged: 2018-12-15 22:51:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11815824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesometimeswarrior/pseuds/thesometimeswarrior
Summary: “Of course, there's a Southern Style! I know you didn’t train in the South, but I had expected you, as observant as you are during lessons, to notice the difference between what I have been teaching you and what the Waterbenders of your tribe must have done while you were growing up…”“I…Master Pakku…” Her eyes are wide as she stares into him, and the color drains from her face. “There were never...There aren’t any other Waterbendersleftin the South.”Pakku, Katara, Revelations, and ReconciliationTakes place between episodes: "The Waterbending Master" and "The Siege of the North pt. 1"





	The Importance of Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Partially inspired by some really wonderful meta about Katara by tumblr user quentyl, which can be found [here](https://quentyl.tumblr.com/post/119125782512). I highly recommend it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Pakku approaches her as she sits, after the lesson, to complement her. Despite what his students may think of him, he is _not_ heartless; he _does_ give praise, when—and only when—it is earned. And Katara has certainly earned it. She is more determined than any student he has had in living memory, staying for what must be hours after each lesson to practice, teeth gritted as she perfects each form. This dedication—along with her natural aptitude for the art—has allowed her in a week to progress further than students he has been training for years.

“You did excellent work today,” he says, sitting down beside her. “I am truly impressed.”

She turns to look at him, with the slightest hint of distrust still in her eyes. It’s still awkward, between them. But she nonetheless bows from where she sits, says, “Thank you, Master Pakku.”

“I am surprised,” he says after a silent moment. “I had expected you to bend in the Southern Style, that I would have to train you out of it, but you—”

“ _What_?”

“Forgive me. That was a poor attempt at humor.”

“That’s not what I…” she sputters. And then asks, with something like longing in her voice, “There’s a Southern Style?”

“Of course, there's a Southern Style! I know you didn’t train in the South, but I had expected you, as observant as you are during lessons, to notice the difference between what I have been teaching you and what the Waterbenders of your tribe must have done while you were growing up…”

“I…Master Pakku…” Her eyes are wide as she stares into him, and the color drains from her face. “There were never...there aren’t any other Waterbenders _left_ in the South.”

Now _his_ eyes widen, he feels his stomach drop from within him, as he repeats her earlier question: “ _What_?”

“I was the first Waterbender born in the South in two generations, and the Fire Nation took all the other ones before I was—”

“ _Took_ them?”

“I…Yeah…that or…I thought you _knew._ Why do you think I came all the way to the North Pole to learn Waterbending?”

Pakku closes his eyes. Suddenly the extent of her dedication is all too understandable. And he hears other, unspoken questions—unspoken rebukes—in her words. _Why do you think I was so desperate to learn from you? Why do you think I convinced the Avatar to disobey you and risk his own training to teach me? Why do you think I wanted to fight you—a Master—rather than apologize for wanting to learn?_

“Who have you had to defend your tribe?”

He almost doesn’t want to hear the answer.

“All the men learn to fight. But they all left two years ago to help the Earth Kingdom Army in its fight against the Fire Nation. My dad left Sokka in charge, but I don’t think he really meant it—Sokka was just a kid. But luckily, there haven’t been any raids since then, until we found Aang, and he gave himself up, so no one got hurt…”

 _So now our Sister Tribe is defenseless_ , Pakku thinks, with a vague feeling that he is going to vomit and tarnish the white snow. _No Waterbenders, not even any non-bending warriors, and when the last Waterbender of the South came to me to learn, I refused, held our traditions up like a taunt to her…_

“How many people are left in the South now?” he asks, voice raspier than he expects.

“There were nineteen others, when Sokka and I left. Including Gran-Gran. All women and children.” 

_Tui and La, how could we not have_ known _this? How could we have been turning our backs on our Sister Tribe for_ this _long?_

Pakku leans forward in a half-prostration, hears his pupil’s soft gasp, but ignores it. “Katara, when you arrived, I did not fully comprehend…Please forgive me for what I put you through before agreeing to train you. ”

She looks at him silently for a moment, and when she speaks it is more softly than Pakku has ever heard her voice. “I understand that tradition’s important to you. Tradition’s important to me too. And that’s why I needed to learn.”

“I believe I understand that now.”

“And I guess it’s not going to matter now, because I’m not going to be there anyway, but I just felt so _useless_ at home. My people needed someone to defend them, and all they had was Sokka and an untrained Waterbender…I mean what was even the _point_? Gran-Gran said it gave her hope, but…hope for _what,_ if I couldn’t do anything other than catch a few fish?”

“Well, if you’ll accept it,” says Pakku, raising his head. “You have my word that I will train you to be the finest Waterbending Master of your generation. That would, I think, bring plenty of hope to your people.”

“If that's the case,” Katara responds, rising, a grin on her lips. “I better get back to practicing, so you can keep that word. I hate broken promises…”

After the Siege, Pakku will tell her: "I’ve decided to go the South Pole. Some other benders and healers want to join me. It’s time we helped rebuild our Sister Tribe," and Katara will smile.

After the War, someone—some visitor from the North—will tell him that Katara is the greatest Waterbending Master in _three_ generations, and Pakku will smile.

But, for now, he stands to help her train. It is, at least, a place to start.

**Author's Note:**

> The quote at the very end, when Pakku decides to go to the South Pole, is from the episode "The Siege of the North pt. 2."
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! I love comments!


End file.
